“I knew a trooper from Washington State Patrol that had spoken to our junior high back in Walla Walla and the emotion – or the emotional impact that that job had on him – certainly impacted me. I thought, 'You know, there’s just not that many jobs where you could be that deeply touched by the things that you do and see.'”

Branch’s interest in negotiations is evident and extends beyond what occurs at work. He rattles off names of negotiator movies. He quickly summarizes parts of their plots. He critiques what’s realistic and what’s not.

In the real world, Branch said, the county team is called to situations that require officers specifically trained in communication – or negotiations – to help resolve an incident peacefully. The negotiation team mostly responds to calls of crisis. Negotiators try to build rapport with people to keep the conversation -- and cooperation -- going.

On the team, Branch’s role is to run the intelligence operation.

Officers assigned to intelligence gather as much information as possible about incidents. They dig to find details about the people involved. They create psychological profiles.

The information, Branch said, helps the intelligence members make solid recommendations to negotiators. The work, he said, is exhausting. Incidents can last hours. And sharp focus is always required.

Branch recently spoke to The Oregonian about his job. Questions and answers have been edited for clarity and brevity.

How did you become interested in crisis intervention work?

You know, here’s the thing. Back in the day, we maybe got a few calls a week on patrol of people basically in crisis, whether it was suicidal thoughts or whatever…Our call load started going up, and we didn’t have officers who were trained to handle those situations.

I think for myself and some of the other officers, not all of them, we have family members that struggle with mental illness or medical conditions that put them in a position of crisis fairly regularly. It hits home for us. So, for me, I went through the original CIT (Crisis Intervention) training.

Why do you think crisis intervention and negotiation work is a good fit for you?

As far back as I can remember, and I don’t think it’s much different for a lot of guys, I’ve always been somebody that reached out to help folks that needed it.

So, as time went on, and I got through college, and experienced some family crises, family members that had to deal with various issues, and mental health issues being some of it, I guess you make a decision, is that something you step up and do or not? And for me, it was something that I found is kind of a passion, something I’m interested in doing that’s different than simply responding to 911 calls.

What is your specific role with the Crisis Negotiations Unit?

I run the intel cell. So everything intel-related is kind of overseen by me.

Why was the team renamed?

How many hostage situations do we really come across? It just really is not as common as it used to be.

The term hostage negotiations is kind of a loose term. Because generally speaking, more often than not, you’re talking about a crisis situation.

How many calls does the team average per year?

At one point, just before I came on, even as I came on, we were getting called out a few dozen times a year. Sometimes, as many as 30, 40 or so. Nowadays, in a year, 12 would be a busy year for callouts.

How many people on the team negotiate?

We’re all capable of doing it. We’ve all been to the basic negotiating academy, the one that’s put on by the FBI.

What kind of equipment do you have?

We have two different kinds of negotiating boxes that allow us to communicate via telephone regardless of the type of telephone (landline or cellphone) that is with the individuals that we need to talk to.

Really, the idea behind that equipment is simply communication. If you can’t speak to somebody, you’re not going to understand what the issues are and help them come to a more reasonable resolution.

What other equipment do you use in addition to the phones?

So, on top of those, we have some computers that we use for intelligence gathering purposes inside the van. We have flat panel TV’s that we use to communicate with each other on, sharing information as we’re gathering.

Our negotiators can see what we’re gathering and what our recommendations are and that kind of thing. So, we don’t actually have to physically step into the negotiating cell to communicate those needs. In the old days, you’d take a sticky note and you’d slap it up against the window, separating the two cells, and they’d read the sticky note.

In general, what are some ways that you try to deescalate a situation?

I mean, look, when you get into an argument with somebody, what is it that both of you want more than anything? There’s always something at the root of that conversation. What is it that you want them to do? To listen.

People just want to be heard.

They don’t want people to shut them off and discount what they’re feeling, regardless of whether we think it’s valid or not. It’s valid for them. And I think that people would be amazed at how productive the conversation can be if they do less talking and more listening, whether you agree with somebody or not.

What is the best part of your job?

I think the best part of the job is helping to resolve a situation, where shots are not fired, people are not injured, individuals are able to be, we use the word saved, but that word is very general because it’s not necessarily saved from anything other than a result that is far worse than it should be.

Helping folks get to a position, or a point in their life, where they can see more clearly and make better decisions that will positively impact them, if that makes sense.

Is negotiating generally effective in resolving situations?

A very high percentage are resolved through the negotiating process and not tactically. There are some that end tactically, based on analysis and a lot of other stuff that gets considered.

For something to end through negotiating, does that mean the person in crisis surrenders peacefully?

That’s the hope. Absolutely. A peaceful end without forcing a tactical resolution. There’s no benefit to busting up somebody’s property and, you know, doing a bunch of yellin’ and shoutin’. That’s not what it’s about.

How do in-person negotiations differ from negotiations over the phone?

Face-to-face conversations are always more difficult because you’re both able to see each other, read responses, physical responses, that are sometimes much harder to disguise than vocal responses over the telephone. It’s – those are tough.

Honestly, face-to-face communication like that really isn’t desired by anybody, including the person we’re dealing with. Almost all the time, they don’t want to see us at all. They just want us to leave. The face-to-face is very tough, very draining. And, honestly, all of these negotiations are very exhausting.

You’ve mentioned that this work is draining. How does it affect members of the team?

I think it’s very draining because we obviously have to stay very focused the entire time. Generally speaking, you’re looking for perfection when you’re communicating with somebody. So, I mean, it’s just draining.

I think it certainly affects people differently. For those who’ve negotiated with somebody, who then thanked them for the cup of coffee and then turned around and jumped, like it or not, you’re not going to forget that. You’re not going to forget the look on their face. It’s very impactful and very lasting.

Same thing goes with negotiating over the phone. We’ve certainly been involved in a negotiation like that where somebody wanted something, and a very short time later, hung up and ended their life.

Do you have certain calls that are most memorable for you?

I don’t know – I remember certain calls, you know. I was certainly there at the time when the gentleman hung up and ended his own life. I mean, that’s memorable. You don’t forget stuff like that.

But, I look over a career of some 22, 23 years, and there’s a great deal of what I’ve seen and done here that leaves a lasting impact and not all of it pleasant.

I’m not who I was when I started by any means. It definitely has an impact on who you end up down the road.